JEFFERSON CITY— The Missouri Senate began its full debate on the 13 measures that make up the state’s operating budget this week.  In addition, the Senate sent several bills to the governor’s desk for his approval.  And lawmakers move one step closer in coming up with a compromise on a new congressional district map.

Crafting the State’s Budget

Lawmakers in the Senate worked this week to give their approval to its version of the 13 bills that make up the state’s operating budget.  The budget bills, which range from measures designed to fund elementary, secondary and higher education in Missouri to legislation crafted to provide funding for the state’s transportation needs, total $23.2 billion for the upcoming 2012 fiscal year, which runs July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012.  The Senate’s version of the FY 2012 budget includes a $6 million net reduction in spending compared to the governor’s budget proposed in early January.  Priorities of the FY 2012 budget include increases over recommended funding for K-12 education transportation and public colleges and universities.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, handled the budget bills during floor debate.  Among the top funding priorities for the Senate are programs and agencies within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  Some of the major funding items in HB 2 include an additional $20 million in funding for transportation for K-12 education, restoring almost half of the recommended budget cut proposed by the governor and adopted by the House.  The Senate also voted to maintain the school funding formula at its current level, accepting $189 million in federal budget stabilization dollars earmarked for education to help maintain current funding levels for FY 2012 and FY 2013.  In addition, the Senate adopted increased funding for early childhood special education and the Parents As Teachers Program, as well as increased lottery funding for the Missouri Scholars and Fine Arts Academies.

Higher education funding, found in HB 3, includes:

• restoration of $30 million in funding for Access Missouri Scholarships (funds swapped from General Revenue to the Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative Fund);
• $7 million increase to expand the A+ Scholarship program;
• $1 million increase to support four-year nursing degree programs;
• $100,000 for advance placement incentives grant program for Access Missouri or A+ Scholarship recipients;
• level funding for the Bright Flight Scholarship program (funds swapped from General Revenue to the Guaranty Agency Operating Fund);
• and $6.78 million reduction to MOREnet.

The Department of Social Services, funded through HB 11, is the second largest department to receive funding through General Revenue.  Major changes in the Senate include $152 million in increased funding to maintain current Medicaid program levels (plus a $95 million increase in funding to cover the Medicaid caseload growth), $60 million in federal funding for Medicaid providers to implement Electronic Healthcare Technology systems and various department-wide General Revenue core reductions.

In additional, the Legislature made changes to its own operating budget in HB 12.  Votes were made to cut $95,000 to fund Senate redistricting staff, leaving half a year’s funding for FY 2012; $106,870 was cut to eliminate the budget for various joint House and Senate committees; $356,000 in core budget reductions were made in the House; and the Senate cut its funding by 5 percent last year.

All budget bills with Senate changes must receive final approval by the House.  Those measures with Senate amendments not approved by the House will be sent to a conference committee consisting of both Senate and House members, where they will be charged with working out the differences between the two chambers’ budget plans.  Both chambers must give their final approval to the negotiated versions before the budget bills can be delivered to the governor.  Missouri’s constitution requires the budget to be passed by the Legislature by 6 p.m. on Friday, May 6.

Click here to listen to the Senate Minute from April 21, which features discussion in the Senate on the budget for Fiscal Year 2012.  Click here to view and listen to audio and video clips from April 20 of floor debate on the budget bills. 

Redistricting Work Continues

Several members of the Missouri Senate were appointed this week to serve on a conference committee formed to negotiate differences between the Senate and House’s version of the new congressional districts maps.  Senator Scott T.Rupp, R-Wentzville; Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau; Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah; Sen. Victor Callahan, D-Independence; and Sen. Robin Wright-Jones, D-St. Louis, were named to serve on the conference committee along with four members of the House of Representatives.

In Missouri, congressional redistricting is the responsibility of the Legislature.  The results of the 23rd Decennial Census affected the number of congressional districts in the state.  The outcome of the 2010 Census showed that Missouri’s population grew by 7 percent.  While Missouri’s population increased, it did not grow at the same rate as other states, causing Missouri to lose a congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.  This results in a drop from nine to eight Missouri congressional seats.  If lawmakers do not approve new congressional districts this session, they will face a special session to ensure proper filing in February 2012 for congressional district candidates.

The conference committee-approved version will need to be passed by both legislative chambers before it can be delivered to the governor for his signature.

Legislation Moves to Governor

Two supplemental bills now head to the governor for his approval.  House Bill 14, handled in the Senate by Sen. Schaefer, is a supplemental budget bill designed to provide additional funding to various state departments and programs from the funds designated for Fiscal Year 2011, which ends June 30, 2011.  In addition, the Senate gave its approval to HB 15.  The measure, also handled by Sen. Schaefer, would appropriate money for supplemental purposes for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Click here to listen to the Senate Minute from April 19, which features debate on House Bills 14 and 15. 

A bill that would exempt a qualified plug-in electric drive vehicle from the state’s motor vehicle emissions inspection program has been passed by the Senate and delivered to the governor.  House Bill 354, handled in the Senate by Sen. Rupp, defines this vehicle as a qualified plug-in electric drive vehicle that is made by a manufacturer, has not been modified from original manufacturer specifications, can operate solely on electric power and is capable of recharging its battery from an on- and off-board generation source.

Several measures designating specific days and months of the year were also sent to the governor.  House Bill 749, handled by Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla, would designate the month of April as “Child Abuse Prevention Month” and recognize the blue ribbon as the official state symbol for child abuse prevention.  House Bill 795, handled by Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, would designate the second Friday in March of each year as “Missouri School Read-In Day,” promoting activities to increase awareness of the importance and benefits of reading and encouraging greater emphasis on reading in school and at home.  And HB 182, handled by Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, would designate the first Friday in March of each year as “Dress in Blue for Colon Cancer Awareness Day.”

Measures Approved by Senate

A bill that would change certain provisions of the Big Government Get Off My Back Act and create an income tax deduction for small business job creation received final approval in the Senate.  House Bill 45, handled by Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, would increase the time period of the prohibition on user fee increases and the rule-making requirements to a five-year period beginning on Aug. 28, 2009.  Currently, this act prohibits increases for a four-year period in user fees imposed by Missouri for obtaining small business licenses. 

House Bill 45 also would create an income tax deduction for tax years 2011 through 2014 for small businesses that create new full-time jobs paying wages equal to, or greater than the county average wage.  Unless reauthorized, provisions of this act creating the income tax deduction for small business job creation will sunset on December 31 three years from the effective date of the act (Aug. 28, 2011).  The bill, which contains changes made by the Senate, now goes back to the House for final approval.

Click here to listen to the Senate Minute from April 20, which features discussion on House Bill 45.  Click here to view and listen to audio and video clips from April 19 of Sen. Pearce discussing HB 45 in the Senate. 

Senator Shalonn “Kiki” Curls, D-Kansas City, ushered HB 108 through its passage in the Senate.  The measure, which contains Senate committee amendments, would modify the laws regarding contributions to political action committees.  Currently, a political action committee can only receive contributions from a certain corporation, association or partnership.  House Bill 108 would allow contributions from any corporation, association or partnership. 

The measure would also increase the number of days from five to 30 for an agent that receives contributions, makes expenditures or incurs indebtedness for the committee to render a detailed account to the candidate, committee treasurer or deputy treasurer.  In addition, the bill would remove the requirement that the detailed account must be at the request of the committee’s treasurer, deputy treasurer or candidate.  With the Senate’s changes, the bill now goes back to the House for its approval.

The Senate gave its final approval to a bill that would change certain provisions relating to domestic violence in Missouri.  Senate Bill 320, sponsored by Sen. John Lamping, R-Ladue, would address adult and child abuse orders of protection, juvenile court jurisdiction, batterer intervention programs, repeat offenders and municipal offenses, and the Safe at Home confidentiality program, among other provisions.

Lawmakers in the upper chamber took up SB 48 this week, sponsored by Sen. Wright-Jones.  The measure, one of several filed this session that would make changes to certain provisions regarding public utilities in Missouri, set out modify the state’s CWIP or construction work in progress law.  CWIP is a term commonly used in the energy industry that allows utilities to charge ratepayers for the cost of financing new power plants during construction.  The measure focuses on a 1976 voter-approved law which bars utilities from charging customers the cost of building or financing a new power plant before it starts producing electricity.  However, the provisions relating to CWIP found in the Senate substitute of the legislation was ruled out of order by the Senate President Pro Tem. 

Senate Bill 48 went on to receive the Senate’s final approval.  The bill would prohibit gas, electric, water, heating and sewer companies from requiring a deposit or other guarantee for continued service to any existing customer that has been late in paying the utility at least five times in a 12-month period. The customer would have to have consistently made a monthly payment by the delinquent date during the 12-month period of at least $75 or 25 percent of the total outstanding balance. The legislation would not apply to those individuals who owe more than $300 or to customers who are making payments as part of an established pay plan with the utility.

Click here to view and listen to audio and video clips from April 20 of Sen. Wright-Jones discussing Senate Bill 48 in the Senate. 

Lawmakers in the Senate also gave their final approval to SB 270, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit.  The measure would change dates available for public elections in Missouri, removing the first Tuesday after the first Monday in February and June as dates available for public elections.

Senators considered SB 340, sponsored by Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa.  The legislation changes licensing requirements for funeral directors, embalmers and funeral establishments.  The bill also modifies certain requirements for preneed funeral contracts.  Among other provisions, the act changes the procedure for a funeral provider to receive funds after providing funeral services and merchandise and the procedure for an individual who wants to cancel a preneed contract funded by a joint account.  A final vote in the Senate now sends the measure over to the House of Representatives.

Senate Joint Resolution 10, sponsored by Sen. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis, is a constitutional amendment that would, if approved by voters, reduce the number of members serving in the Missouri House of Representatives from 163 to 103 beginning with the 102nd General Assembly in 2023.  Passage in the Senate sends this measure to the House for similar consideration.

Another resolution, SCR 11, sponsored by Sen. Wright-Jones, also received the Senate’s approval.  The resolution asks the governor to recognize every third week in June as Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Week in Missouri, and encourages citizens throughout the state to observe this week by raising public awareness regarding the symptoms and treatment of this disease.

Debate In the Senate

A bill that would change several provisions relating to elementary and secondary education was also taken up for debate in the Missouri Senate this week.  House Bill 738, handled in the Senate by Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, would require each school district in the state to ensure that every student develop a personal plan of study prior to the end of his or her eighth grade year.  The legislation also makes changes to superintendent evaluations, school district composition and the Missouri School Improvement Program review, and the use of reduction in force (reducing the number of teachers in a school district under certain circumstances).  The measure was tabled for further debate.

Senate Joint Resolution 12, sponsored by Sen. Timothy Green, D-Spanish Lake, received the Senate’s first-round approval this week.  The proposed constitutional amendment, if approved by voters, would increase term limits for members of the Missouri General Assembly from eight years to 16 years in each chamber.  According to the resolution, a member would still be limited to a total of 16 years in the General Assembly.  However, the member may split his or her legislative service between the House of Representatives and the Senate in any proportion as long as he or she serves no more than 16 years combined.

Click here to view and listen to audio and video clips from April 20 of Sen. Green discussing Senate Joint Resolution 12 on the Senate floor.    

Another resolution considered by lawmakers this week was SJR 15, sponsored by Sen. Brian Nieves, R-Washington.  His resolution, if approved by Missouri voters, would prohibit the legislative, executive and judicial branches in Missouri from recognizing, enforcing or acting upon any federal action that exceeds the powers delegated to the federal government, among other provisions.

Committee Action

A measure crafted to address administrative child support orders in Missouri was considered and voted out of the Senate Health, Mental Health, Seniors and Families Committee this week.  Senate Bill 312, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis, would, among other provisions, give administrative hearing offices from the Department of Social Services the authority to set aside administrative child support decisions on behalf of the director to correct oversights and omissions due to mistake of law or fact, surprise, fraud, misrepresentation, excusable neglect or inadvertence.

Also heard and voted out of the same committee this week was HB 143.  The measure would change the laws regarding hotline calls reporting suspected child abuse or neglect to the Children’s Division within the Department of Social Services.  Some provisions include requiring a hotline worker to instruct an individual to call 911 when a child may be in immediate danger, and prohibiting any person responding to a child abuse and neglect investigation from calling prior to a home visit or leaving a business card, pamphlet or other similar identifying information under certain circumstances.

The Senate General Laws Committee gave its approval to SB 298, sponsored by Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown.  The measure lowers the minimum age for a person to apply for a concealed carry endorsement from 23 to 21 years of age.  This same committee also approved HB 167, which would require Missouri driver’s license tests to be only administered in English so that the applicant can demonstrate his or her ability to sufficiently understand highway traffic signs and safety warnings.

Click here to view and listen to audio and video clips from April 20 of senators discussing House Bill 167 in the committee. 

Senate Bill 366, sponsored by Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mt. Vernon, also received a hearing before the Senate General Laws Committee this week.  The bill, among other organizational provisions, would create cooperative associations as a new type of business organization formed for any lawful purpose to conduct business in Missouri.  Panel members voted the measure out of committee, recommending the bill be taken up by the full Senate for its consideration.

In the Senate Education Committee this week, members voted out SB 14, sponsored by Sen. Pearce.  His legislation would establish procedures for the transfer of students from an unaccredited school district to an accredited school district in the same or adjoining county.  Missouri’s current law does not require the school board of a school district that does not maintain an accredited school to pay the tuition and transportation of resident students who attend an accredited school in another district of the same or adjoining county.

House Concurrent Resolution 11, brought before members of the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee this week urges U.S. Congress to designate the Liberty Memorial located in Kansas City as the National World War I Memorial.  The measure was given the committee’s approval.

The First Regular Session of the 96th General Assembly runs through Friday, May 13, 2011.  The Senate will reconvene next week at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26. 

This update is written once a week throughout the legislative session. To follow these and other issues facing the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov . Visitors can track legislation as it passes through the General Assembly, learn more about their district, or, when the Legislature is in session, listen to streaming audio of legislative debate as it happens. For more legislative news, please visit the Senate Newsroom . There you will find various audio and video programs and other services, such as:  

• Missouri Legislative Update (MLU) – A video program produced periodically throughout the year that provides an overview of the news in the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives. The program features news interviews with lawmakers and stories on issues concerning Missourians.
• Capital Dialogue  – Missourinet's Bob Priddy hosts this monthly half-hour roundtable program bringing legislators together from the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives from different political parties to discuss their positions on specific issues and legislation.
• This Week in the Missouri Senate  – A weekly five-minute audio program that wraps up the week’s news in the Missouri Senate. Programs are posted online every Friday in .mp3 format.
• Senate Minute  – A condensed, one-minute audio report of current Senate news. Programs are posted in .mp3 format and are available through podcast.
• Daily Audio / Video Clips – Throughout the year, the Senate Newsroom posts broadcast-quality audio and video highlights from Senate committee hearings, floor debate, press conferences and other legislative events.
• Daily News Clips – The Senate Newsroom compiles daily news clips from various print and online publications that cover issues relating to the Legislature and state government. An archive of past clips is maintained online and is offered as a subscription service.

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